


All-encompassing

by w_x_2



Series: Calling Derek [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-08
Updated: 2013-11-08
Packaged: 2017-12-31 21:42:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1036702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/w_x_2/pseuds/w_x_2
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles sniffles, and tries to quieten his noises because for goodness sake he's in the middle of a forest and no one needs to hear him cry.</p>
            </blockquote>





	All-encompassing

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Characters do not belong to me, no harm is intended and no profit is made.
> 
> Set after 3x12, spoilers for season 3.

Stiles presses the call button without a second thought, once he'd seen the name in his contacts list he'd known it was the only person he'd wanted to talk to, but now, in the moment before the call connects and then rings, Stiles hovers with his thumb over the end call button and eventually presses it.

 

It's too late though, he'd spent too long thinking about it, and as a consequence there had been the start of the first ring meaning that the missed call will show up on the phone he'd called. Stiles gulps as he looks at the phone worriedly and then presses the same name. It's already rung so he might as well call for real, which he does.

 

This time he hears the phone ring three and then four times, and then the doubt creeps back in, he should deal with his problems on his own, shouldn't have to lean on other people, especially not the one he's calling.

 

Stiles closes his eyes, brings his phone away from his ear and hears one more ringtone before he decides it's time to hang up. He open his eyes and moves his finger to do so, but the call connects and a worried “Stiles?” comes through.

 

Stiles stays silent for a few seconds, holding in his breath and trying to keep as quiet as possible.

 

“Your heart is beating rather fast,” the voice on the other end informs him.

 

 _Damn werewolf powers._ “I'm so sorry I called,” Stiles rushes out, this time intent on ending the call. “Sorry,” he gasps one last time before he clicks the call off.

 

Once it's off Stiles breathes in slowly but his chest jumps, and his breathing stutters and the tears come to his eyes in a rush, pooling at the corners before they roll free. Stiles sniffles, and tries to quieten his noises because for goodness sake he's in the middle of a forest and no one needs to hear him cry.

 

The shrilling noise that emerges from his phone is his ringtone and when he looks at the caller ID he reads Derek's name. He can't stop crying and he's not going to answer the phone like this. The phone rings and rings and rings and then stops. And then it starts again.

 

Derek calls him a total of three times before the phone finally stops ringing for more than a few seconds. And then there's an entirely different sound from his phone which means he's received a text.

 

_Answer the phone._

 

Stiles has barely had enough time to read the text before it's ringing again, and by God, what did he do! Why the fuck did he think it was a good idea to call Derek, and then apologize for calling just to hang up.

 

It ring and it rings and it rings, and Stiles finally picks it up after he tries to clear his nose and rubs his eyes despite the tears still falling.

 

“Stiles,” Derek says in a relieved tone.

 

“I'm sorry,” Stiles stutters.

 

“Stop apologising, what's going on? Do you want me to call your dad?” Derek offers.

 

“No, it-it's his night out. No.” Stiles shakes his head although Derek can't see it.

 

“Are you in danger?” Derek asks.

 

Stiles chuckles softly and his crying slows down. “If your house collapses, then I might just be buried alive under it.”

 

“What are you doing there?” Derek asks calmly.

 

Stiles looks around himself. “I honestly don't know,” he admits. Stiles stands up from the steps in the front porch where he'd been sitting and walks up to the door. “I got in the car and- and I was... _here_. Calling you,” Stiles finishes off in a whisper as the door creaks open under the small amount of pressure he'd put on it before he peers inside, and then walks in.

 

“Stiles,” Derek says. “I'm not kicking you out, you can stay there, but don't you think it would be best for you to go to your Jeep where you can be warm and cosy rather than going inside and falling through the floor?”

 

“Do you ever plan on fixing this house?” Stiles asks instead as he faces the destruction the house suffered from the storm the Dakra had created. “Sorry, insensitive,” Stiles adds as he finally gets a hold of himself and stops crying completely. “You're not even in Beacon Hills, why would you want to fix a house you don't ever plan to come back to?” Stiles touches one of the panels on one of the few still standing walls and that particular piece of wood decides to give under his gentle touch. “That was rhetoric and as you can probably hear I am now heading outside.”

 

The silence is eary, Derek doesn't say anything on his end of the phone and the forest is completely quiet. Opening the door to his Jeep makes an echoy creak, as well as does closing it.

 

“Great talk,” Stiles comments. “I should go home.”

 

“Stiles,” Derek says gently but firmly. “You called me.”

 

And the feeling hits him all over again but he refuses to cry. He gulps loudly. “I did,” he nods even though Derek can't see him. “I'm good now,” Stiles says.

 

“I can hear your heart,” Derek reminds him in a sad tone.

 

“You shouldn't be able to from so far away,” he jokes. “Not that I actually know where you are because you and Cora completely disappeared which was not very nice, but anyway, the pack is alright.” Stiles nods again. “I guess we can function without you,” he says as a conclusion.

 

“Tell me,” Derek prompts softly.

 

And Stiles does. Because despite it all, he does want Derek to know. “Scott's been taking care of everyone. He keeps Aiden and Ethan -who have by the way joined the pack- in check, and we- we told Danny so him and Lydia are a pretty good support to one another in dealing with having alpha werewolves as boyfriends. There haven't been dead bodies so Lydia's been alright. And Isaac, he's really good, happy.” Stiles smiles widely before his smile dies down. “He's with Alison, Alison who along with her father have a new motto to protect those who can't protect themselves so they're no longer the evil hunters. And hum,” Stiles breathes in deeply before continuing. “Alison and Isaac, they're also together with Scott, which is why he's been so happy and so good with taking care of the pack. He was a bit scared at the beginning but he's good now.” Stiles nods and then confirms, “He's good. And in that relationship they are able to keep away the darkness together, let the light shine through most of the time which is awesome. And dad, well, he's good with the werewolves and stuff, and he went to have dinner with Misses McCall and Mr. Argent. They've all become pretty good friends but I can't deal with another threesome so they're never getting together. Well, I don't think they ever will to be honest. Misses McCall has been going on online dates so she's been trying to set Dad and Mr. Argent up with other people too. Online dating.” Stiles mutters. “Between them they should be able to detect the unsuitable ones, one can only hope. So yeah, it's all good. Everyone's good.”

 

Derek doesn't say anything, neither through Stiles' ranting nor after it, and Stiles is getting a headache because as much as it's true about everyone else, “And I'm good,” Stiles says. “Most of the time.” He presses a finger to each eye, physically keeping the tears at bay rather than just with his willpower because it's not enough at the moment. “But it's hard sometimes, sometimes it's _really_ hard,” Stiles confides in a soft tone.

 

“You didn't mention the darkness around your own heart,” Derek murmurs, not exactly putting pressure on the word 'your' but saying it slow so that it stands out.

 

Stiles scoffs and titters, “It's quite the thing.” Stiles exhales harshly. “Sometimes it creeps up, and wow, I just, I'm glad I've got my dad, I'd do it all over again,” Stiles utters with certainty. “But it hurts, everyone has someone and I-I-” he stops himself and collects his thoughts a bit more before continuing. “I don't mean to sound selfish, I have my friends, and I have my dad, but sometimes, just sometimes, and especially lately, it's not enough,” Stiles gulps, looking out of the window into the darkness of the forest. “I've tried, and I mean, I've _really_ tried, dated two people, gone out to have fun with a few more but everyone is so... _dull_. And it's like the darkness just takes over more quickly, it's like it _knows_ that I'm not having fun so it envelops me even further. And it is so, so hard to actually snap out of it.” Stiles drops his head on the steering wheel and closes his eyes, taking the time to breathe in and out slowly.

 

“I'm sorry that you're feeling like this and that you've been going through it on your own.”

 

“Derek,” Stiles calls, head lifting from the steering wheel and eyes opening wide. “I've got plenty of offers from colleges and I-I-” Stiles stills his voice and then says, “You _need_ to tell me where you are.”

 

“Stiles,” Derek tries.

 

“I can't stay here. I honest to God cannot,” Stiles admits. “Their happiness, it's good, but it only last for a few minutes before it becomes suffocating and reminds me that I don't have anyone like that. So,” Stiles says determinedly, “I need to get out of here.”

 

“I-” Derek begins but doesn't get far.

 

“I don't mean right now. I can hang on for two more weeks, until the official end of classes and the celebration, but after that, I need to go.” Stiles' voice tells of his honesty and his desperation. “And don't make me go to Jackson instead,” he pleads.

 

Because the truth is, Stiles knows that he needs a link to the pack, that he would truly not survive without a link, but he also knows that he can't stay where everyone is feeling so good and he's the only one who doesn't fit in.

 

“Jackson's not so bad,” Derek jokes, but then says in a serious tone, “You can come stay with me, or you can also go stay with Cora if you prefer. She's not very far away, but she is an hour's drive away from me and I know she'd be happy to have you over.”

 

“No,” Stiles shakes his head furiously. “No, that's not-”

 

“Ok,” Derek soothes. “I'll text you my address and you can decide what to do whenever you get here.”

 

“Thank you,” Stiles exhales in gratitude.

 

“Hmm,” Derek responds. “Now turn your phone onto speaker,” he instructs.

 

“Hum,” Stiles makes a confused noise.

 

“You're gonna drive home,” Derek explains. “If you feel ready for it,” he adds.

 

“Uh, yeah, yeah ok,” Stiles says out loud, convincing himself.

 

“Alright,” Derek agrees. “I'm gonna ask you a question, and I want you to think really hard about it because I expect you to give me an answer.” Derek pauses. “Come on, put the car into drive.”

 

“Alright, alright,” Stiles says. “Now what's this question of yours?”

 

Derek clears his throat and then in a very serious tone asks, “What came first, the chicken or the egg?”

 

And gosh, Stiles smiles and he can see a small light starting to shine in the midst of the darkness around his heart.

 

“That's entirely too easy, how do you not know the answer?” Stiles protests incredulously. “I'm disappointed in you sourwolf,” and he knows that the smile on his face will clearly be heard in his voice. “It is of course...”


End file.
